Lodging reservations data systems are known in the art. Such lodging reservations data systems store room availability data, rate data, and other suitable data for use by guests, operators, or reservation agents of the lodging facility. These lodging reservations data systems allow the guests, operators, or reservation agents to determine room availability and rate information for the lodging facility, so as to make decisions on to whether to book a room, to assist with the room reservation process, or for other purposes.
Likewise, reservation systems are known that compile data for multiple lodging facilities. However, these reservation systems for multiple facilities are not updated in real time. The distributed or local lodging reservations data systems are not configured to interface with the reservation systems for multiple facilities, because they are not controlled by the same entities. Unlike the situation that exists in the airline industry, car rental industry, or other similar industries, where a there are a small number of large service providers, the lodging industry is typified by a large number of lodging facilities that are independently owned and operated. Thus, it has not been feasible to modify the large number of local reservation systems so that updated information can be provided to a reservation system for multiple facilities. As a result, search functionality for such systems is primitive, and typically limited to identifying properties that must then be separately contacted to determine whether reservations are available for a date of interest, and the rate for such reservations.
To resolve the problems with prior art systems, reservation systems for multiple facilities use static databases that reflect a small number of rates and availability data that is updated infrequently or not at all. A frequent problem encountered by such users is that the first reservation system will indicate availability of reservations or a particular rate, but upon contacting the local reservation data system, the user will find that the rate does not exist, or that rooms are not available. Thus, users of such reservation systems for multiple facilities must not only contact a reservation data system for each separate lodging facility of interest, but also frequently encounter facilities that do not have the rates of interest or do not have room availability. Thus, a user who is attempting to find a number of comparable properties to do a price comparison or provide options to a traveler must often directly contact a large number of properties to obtain on several choices or price points.